Page 1 (2/2)
"the head librarian went to the phone and called a rich ht away, because there’s an enterprising young lady you must meet’
"So a man named Charles calove on? Or did you take your glove off?" Chelsea wanted to know
"On He shook it through love Then we talked and had tea, and suddenly"
Everyone grinned again, and waited
"he ordered twenty-two brand-new dictionaries, and here they are"
When the dictionaries had been distributed to every student, Mrs Pidgeon moved the empty carton to the coatrooable"
The students tried to say the word
"Indefeat"
"Undeff"
"Indeteff"
Mrs Pidgeon wrote it at the top of the board, in large printing "Class," she said, "get out your dictionaries We will have a lesson in dictionary use"
Gooney Bird and the Room Mother
2
Gooney Bird and the Room Mother
The word INDEFATIGABLE was still on the board, in the upper-right-hand corner, followed by its definition: never showing any sign of getting tired Now, after the discussion about eon carefully wrote ENNUI at the end of the word list, because Gooney Bird had said that wearingof ennui The children knew exactly what to do when a neord appeared They each got out a dictionary and began to look carefully through the pages
"I found it!" Tricia called out, with her hand raised
Mrs Pidgeon pointed to Tricia and she read the definition aloud carefully "A feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction"
"That’s right," Gooney Bird said, nodding her head "That’s exactly how I feel when I wearsocks Weary and dissatisfied
"May I be right seon?" she asked "I want to work on Squanto I want to color his feather"
"It’s eon said "Not Muriel"
"I know that," Gooney Bird replied "I just like to call it the Muriel Because of Muriel Holloway in the office"
Muriel Holloas the school secretary She had spiked hair and fancy fingernails If you threw up in school, first you went to the school nurse, and then Muriel Holloway called your ht seon nodded Gooney Bird knelt in front of Squanto and began to examine her crayons
"Everyone choose a place on the, ah, et it finished before the pageant Nicholas, could you work on the forest in the background? Chelsea, how about you? Could you do the turkey?"
Gooney Bird had begun to color Squanto’s feather blue But all of the other children re at their own feet They looked weary and dissatisfied
"My feetof ennui"
"Mine too," Tyrone said loudly "My feet are the boringest ones in the whole room I feel a whole lot of ennui Can I switch one sock with Nicholas?" He sat on the floor and pulled off one white sock
"Trade withat Ben’s left foot
"Me!" Malcoloodness, class!" Mrs Pidgeon said "Can we keep our voices down, please? Look how carefully Gooney Bird is coloring Squanto We et busy on thisThe children were exa their own feet and their class and yelling
"You’ve lost theh, "and it was ize I’ll try to make it up to you" She stood up "Class!" she said
Gooney Bird had a very loud voice when she wanted to use it
"CLASS!" she said again
The children looked up They beca to do," Gooney Bird announced "Arrange yourselves in a circle, please Try not to step on the Muriel"
She reached out and took the hands of the children nearest to her, Tyrone on one side and Ben on the other Tyrone reached for Chelsea Ben took Beanie’s hand One by one the children arranged theeon entered the circle by taking the hands of Nicholas and Chelsea and standing between them
"Now," Gooney Bird announced, "at the count of three, ill each remove our left sock One Two"
"Oh, dear," Mrs Pidgeon said, "I’ pantyhose I think I’d better drop out"
Gooney Bird nodded "You be the supervisor," she suggested
"Ready?" Gooney Bird said loudly "THREE Left socks off"
Every child, including Gooney Bird, removed a left sock
"You’d better help Malcoleon," Gooney Bird said "Reht?"
Mrs Pidegon nodded She went to Malcolm and pointed out his left foot